Founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Green Resources, Bonaventure -Melah, has charged opposition political parties to separate politicking from governance in order not to distract the Tinubu administration from focusing the main task of governance and on delivering the benefits of its ongoing reform agenda to Nigerians.
Melah gave the charge at a press conference in Abuja, held in conjunction with the Strategic Centre for Defense and Security with the theme: “Separating politics from governance.”
He asserted that while the opposition has the right to critique the actions of the Tinubu administration, this must be done in moderation by acknowledging the positive impacts of the reforms that are yielding tangible outcomes, rather than punch holes in the reform policies in a deliberate attempt to diminish their relevance.
Melah said following the reforms initiated in the petroleum industry and the support by the federal government to indigenous players, there is now a healthy competition among investors in the sector that has resulted to the prices of petrol hovering around N900 and N840 per litre.
He said the removal of subsidy has helped the federal government save more money which is being invested in massive legacy projects like the rapid transformation of the Federal Capital Territory, the 770-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and enhanced allocations to states and local governments.
However, he decried that rather than applaud these remarkable achievements and suggest ways and areas of possible improvements, opponents of the Tinubu administration, motivated mostly by political inclinations, are engaging in toxic media attacks aimed at diminishing the gains being recorded.
Melah described their actions as not only unpatriotic, but meant to mislead the public, just as he expressed worry over the ongoing war against the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), especially the personal attacks on its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari
“Someone was NNPCL chief executive officer for many years until recently and the roof was not brought down as is been plotted today.
“The current CEO assumed office less than four months ago, Even though he has neither awarded contracts nor leased oil blocks, the barrage of attacks on him and how the attacks are being celebrated in the media should be a matter of concern to well-meaning citizens.
“President Tinubu, while announcing Ojulari’s appointment, made it clear that he is to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of the company, inject reform policies necessary for the NNPCL to operate with global best practices and therefore profitable to the country and our people.
“It is not surprising or rather expected that some interests would try to resist the change, no matter how necessary. The unthinkable however, is when the resistance comes from within the system which can be likened to a coup de-tat,” he said.
He fingered politically exposed persons, with vested interests in the oil sector and some of who are being investigated for financial infractions as sponsors of the attacks on Ojulari.
Melah observed that the unwarranted attacks through unfounded allegations have the potency to de-market Nigeria’s oil industry and scare away potential investors
“Being the major cash cow of the nation, if the oil industry is being attacked needlessly as is the case currently through reckless allegations, it should be seen and taken as economic terrorism.
“We have all come to the consensus that opposition is a necessary force to strengthen democratic governance.
“But that is when opposition is done with the intent to bring out the best out of those in government for the good of a greater majority.
“We hereby call on politicians to separate politics from governance. There is a time for politics and a time for nation-building.
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“The idea of attacking strategic institutions of government as a way of getting to the president because of 2027 is a great de-service to the nation and a direct attack on the well-being of our people,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director of Publicity of Strategic Communication Centre for Defence and Security, Mr. Yashim Luka, urged opposition politicians to spare Nigerians the vitriolic attacks on the current administration.
He accused opposition politicians of passing massages of doom just to undermine the Tinubu administration, rather than uplifting the peoples’ morale through messages of hope.
Luka surmised that the race for 2027 is rather too early and is instead, becoming a source of distraction for the incumbent government .
“We also support the idea that the new management of the NNPCL is just 100 days in office and should be allowed to work.
“The federal government should therefore take decisive action to stop the shenanigans against such a strategic institution like the NNPCL as any threat to the nation’s oil industry is a threat against national security, since the sector is currently the main stay of our economy,” he added.
